Ex-rugby union star Lewis Boyce reveals how he hopes to take surprise Leeds Rhinos chance
Former Bath and Harlequins prop, 27, is enjoying a trial period with Super League club - almost ten years after first being told to give rugby league a chance when training alongside Rhinos with Yorkshire Carnegie
Told to try rugby league years ago, the chance has finally arrived for ex-Harlequins front-row Lewis Boyce who’s loving his surprise shot with Leeds Rhinos.
The loosehead prop reached union heights in the Premiership and was even called up by Eddie Jones for England’s Six Nations squad in 2018. Yet now, aged 27, he’s hoping to crack the other code after gaining a trial with the Super League giants. Middlesbrough-born Boyce “lost the love” for union over his last two seasons at Bath and finished the previous campaign with a brief stint for Championship outfit Ealing.
But having asked his agent about his chances of swapping codes, Rhinos coach Rohan Smith has been casting his eye over him in training this last fortnight. Boyce started his professional union career in Leeds in 2014 with Yorkshire Carnegie who shared the same training base as Rhinos. He said: “The Rhinos head of academy Simon Bell is still here.
“He shouted over the other day: ‘I told you you should have done rugby league back in the day!’ We both laughed and he said better late than never. He always popped the question back then. I used to watch Rhinos and loved everything about the sport. I thought I’d do alright at it because of the way I played union.
“But being from Middlesbrough there was no real union or league. Not many lads I knew played and I didn’t really know what league was until I came down to Leeds. But I’d already made a name for myself in union. I wasn’t going to throw that away for a chance at something I didn’t really know.
“Always in my heart, though, I wanted to play league. I'd spoken to union clubs but realised I just wasn't enjoying it any more. That's when I asked my agent what the chances were of playing league. He reckoned athletically and with what I can do on the field, I absolutely could do it. Leeds came back with the offer of a trial. Rohan said we’d go week to week. And all I can say, it’s really lit the fire for me again.”
Boyce, who played alongside Kevin Sinfield when the Rhinos legend joined Carnegie in 2016, trimmed down from 19 stone plus to just over 17 ready for rugby league’s different physical demands. He explained: "I was playing union at 123 kilos when I finished at Ealing but when I was off I went boxing with my cousin and got down to 104.
“I’ve put a little back on because I don’t want to blow away in the wind so I’m about 109 now. I definitely feel fit for it. When I’ve been running around with the Rhinos lads, I’m feeling really fit doing the 10 metres back every time and I don’t feel out of place."
It’s not often union props switch codes with the last high-profile one being Wales star Dai Young who, coincidentally, joined Leeds from Cardiff for £150,000 in 1990. Boyce could yet buck the trend and said: "I don’t think there has been many from what I know. It is something I’d like to do if I can. It’d be a decent achievement wouldn't it? Normally a centre or back-row from union might play league but not a prop."
Boyce has been picking up tips from Rhinos’ front-row fraternity and said: “Big Mik (Oledzki) is some freak. He’s an athletic beast. All of their front-rows are class. Big Sam Lisone, Sanga (Justin Sangare), Tom Holroyd…All the team are good lads. One thing in my union days I lost sight of was that togetherness and team stuff. Being at Rhinos they definitely have something special here."
Leeds have their traditional festive friendly against Wakefield at Headingley - where Boyce used to run out for Carnegie before his big move to 'Quins in 2017 - on Boxing Day. Asked if he might get chance to play in that, he insisted: "I don’t have a clue. I'm just taking every day as it comes. This is more for me to explore it and see how much I enjoy it.
"And for those boys at the Rhinos and coaching staff and the gaffer Rohan to have a feel and see what they think. It's all gone really well so far. Whether it comes off or not with the Rhinos, I know now I just want to be in rugby league. I’m pretty open just to be involved wherever I can play."
Meanwhile, Boyce has been linking up with Sinfield’s son Jack at Rhinos training - without even realising! He said: “I was in the gym and Jack came up to me. I’d seen his name was Sinfield but wasn’t sure and never thought anything of it. I was taking so many new names and faces in at the time to remember.
“And he said ‘I think you played with my dad.’ I asked who it was. And he said Kevin Sinfield. I said ‘you’re joking! I feel like I’ve disrespected you now! Sir Kev!’ I was there at Carnegie when he came over from Rhinos. What a fella and what a privilege.”
